Awning arm bracket



Aug. 15, 1933. H. c. HEISER AWNING ARM BRACKET Filed June 14, 1932 ii flfells'er W,

Patented Aug. 15, 1933 PATENT OFFICE AWNING ARM BRACKET Henry C. Heiser, Cleveland, Ohio, asaignor to The Astrup Company, Cleveland, Ohio, at Corporation of Ohio Application June 14, 1932. Serlal No. 617,149

6 Claims.

My invention relates to wall hanger brackets for lateral awning arms, and more particularly to hanger brackets which may easily be adjusted to proper alignment after they have been mounted upon a wall or other support.

Hanger brackets for lateral awning arms necessarily include an arm portion projecting outwardly a considerable distance from the support, upon which arm portion the lateral folding arms are hung. These brackets are made of malleable iron or other tempered metal in order to possess requisite strength.

In the installation of an awning, it is very essential to position the projecting arm portions of the hanger brackets in exact vertical alignment so that the folding arms to which the awning is secured will, in folding, traverse parallel paths preventing binding or dragging of the awning and accomplishing free and easy operation thereof.

It has been found practically impossible to give the arm brackets the required heat treatment without warping or distorting the projecting arm portions thereof, with the result that the arm portions are not positioned in proper vertical alignment even though the bolts which secure the brackets to their supports are carefullyand accurately located on the support before the brackets are mounted thereon.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an awning arm bracket which may be easily adjusted after the bracket has been mounted upon its support to bring its projecting arm portion into proper vertical alignment.

Moreover, it is quite difllcult to accurately locate the proper positions of holes in a wall for receiving lag bolts, to then accurately drill the holes, and to then accurately secure the lag bolts therein, so that the bolts will be properly spaced to line up with the bracket holes for securing the bracket to the wall, and for securing the bracket to the wall in proper alignment.

It is therefore a further object of the present invention to provide a bracket construction which may be quickly and easily secured to a wall regardless of inaccuracies in location and/or spacing of lag bolts and the like fixed or secured to the wall.

Another object is to provide adjustable bracket which involves only a very slight departure from standard awning bracket construction.

Another object is to provide an adjustable bracket which may be quickly and easily locked in adjusted position.

(Cl. l5644) A further object is to provide a bracket capable of adjustment between certain limits to a plurality of minutely varying positions so as to give a high degree of accuracy in adjustment.

Other objects include the provision of an awning arm bracket embodying the foregoing objectives in a simple construction which is inexpensive to manufacture.

These and ancillary objects are accomplished by the improvements comprising the present invention, which may be stated in general terms as including an awning arm bracket pivoted to a support, clamping bolts for securing the bracket to the support and located substantially at equal distances from the pivot, means rotatable about each of said bolts permitting, in one position, limited pivotal movement of the bracket in an arcuate path, and in another position, preventing movement of the bracket, and means for locking said rotatable means against rotation.

In the drawing forming part hereof,

Figure 1 is a fragmentary elevation of my improved bracket mounted upon a support and having a lateral folding awning arm hung thereon;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged front view of the bracket in non-pivoting position as on line 2-2, Fig. 4;

Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the extreme pivotal positions of the bracket;

Fig. 4 is a plan sectional view taken substantially on line 4-4, Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a rear view of one of the slotted bushings which are rotatively mounted around the clamping bolts;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view thereof, as on line 6-6, Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a rear view of a modified form of bushing; and

Fig. 8 is a sectional view thereof, as on line 8-8, Fig. 7.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the drawing.

The improved awning arm bracket is indicated generally at 10, and is pivotally mounted upon a wall or other support 11 by means of a bolt 12, so that the bracket 10 may be moved in an arcuate path about the bolt 12 as a pivot to assume any desired angular position.

The bracket 10 is provided with the outwardly projecting arm portion 13 having the vertical web 14, and the arms 15 and 16 of the lateral folding awning arm are hinged upon the projecting arm 13 by means of a hinge bolt 17, in the usual manner. The arms 15 and 16 are hinged together by means of the hinge bolt 18, according to common practice, and are shown in their folded position in full lines in Fig. 1.

Preferably, the bracket 10 is provided at opposite sides of the arm 13 with ears 19. Each of the ears 19 has formed therein a circular aperture 20, and the apertures 20 are equidistant from the pivot bolt 12.

Means for normally preventing pivotal movement of the bracket 10 upon the support preferably includes studs or lag bolts 21 which are secured in the-support 11, and which project outwardly through the apertures 20. A bushing 22 is adapted to be rotatively mounted in each aperture 20 and engirdles each bolt 21. Each bushing is preferably provided with the hexagonal flange portion 24 which is adapted to abut the face of the bracket and provides for turning the bushing in the bracket by means of a wrench.

Preferably, each bushing 22 has formed at its central portion a slot 25 extending entirely through the bushing and coaxial therewith. The width of the slot is such as to have a close sliding fit with the bolt 21 which extends therethrough, and the length is such as to permit a predetermined amount of movement of the bolt therein, as for instance, to permit movement of the bracket 10 to say five degrees to each side of the vertical.

Preferably the outer ends of the studs 21 are threaded, and a lock nut 26 is screwed thereon for locking the bushings 22 against rotation.

With the improved construction above described, when an awning is being installed, the brackets 10 are first pivotally connected to the support 11 by means of the bolts 12,. The lag bolts 21 secured in the support 11, extend through the apertures 20, and the bushings 22 are positioned within the apertures 20 and around the bolts 21 as shown in Figs. 2 and 4.

If the holes for the lag bolts 21 have been previously drilled in the support and are slightly oi! proper position, they can still be used by turning the bushings to positions compensating for the error.

The awning is then attached to the arms 15 and 16 in the usual manner. By rotating the bushings 22 to the position shown in full lines in Fig. 3, and slightly loosening the bolt 12, the bracket 10 may be moved in an arcuate path about the bolt 12 as a pivot, either to the right or to the left as desired, until the bolts 21 abut the ends of slots 25. The extreme left position of the bracket is shown in dot-dash lines at L in Fig. 3, and the corresponding position of the arms 15 and 16 is shown fragmentarily in dotdash lines at L' in Fig. 1. The extreme right position of the bracket is shown in dash lines at R. in Fig. 3, and the corresponding position of the arms is shown fragmentarily in dash lines at R in Fig. 1.

By thus manipulating the brackets 10 it will be seen that their outwardly projecting arm portions 13 may be brought into exact vertical alignment regardless of any warpage or distortion which has occurred in said arm portions. Accordingly,-the lateral arms 15 and 16 will travel in parallel paths in folding, so that the awning will operate freely without binding or dragging.

The adjustments of the brackets are limited only by the length of the slots, and not to predetermined intermediate positions, as by notches or the like, with the result that the brackets may be adjusted to a nicety to insure satisfactory operation of the awning.

After the brackets have been adjusted pro erly, the bushings are rotated to the positions shown in Fig. 2, in which the bracket 10 is securely locked against pivotal movement by abutment of the bolts 21 against the sides of slots 25. The nuts 26 may then be screwed down upon the bushings 22 to securely lock them against rotation, and clamp the bracket 10 to the support 11. while the bolt 12 is also tightened to clamp the bracket at that point.

Obviously, strains upon the awning due to wind vibration or the like cannot change the alignment of the bracket, unless the bushings 22 are rotated in the apertures, which can only be done by first loosening nuts 26.

In Figs. 7 and 8 a modified form of bushing is shown at 22a. The bushing 22a is provided with a hole 30 extending therethrough and located eccentrically with respect to its axis. The hole 30 is of a size adapted to journal one of the bolts 21 therein so that by rotating the bushing 22a about the bolt 21, and then entering the bushing into the aperture 20 the bracket 10 may be maintained in different adjusted positions.

The improved bracket is simple and inexpensive to manufacture because the only changes involved over making a standard bracket are enlarging the holes for the bolts 21, and then providing the improved bushings 22 or 22a.

Various modifications may be made in the details of construction without departing from the scope of my invention as defined in the claims.

I claim:

1. An awning bracket adapted to be pivotally connected with a support, said bracket having an aperture therein spaced from said pivotal connection, a bushing rotatably mounted in said aperture and provided with a slot, and a bolt projecting through said slot and adapted to be secured in the support.

2. An awning bracket adapted to be pivotally 7 connected with a support, said bracket having a circular aperture therein spaced from said pivotal connection, a bushing rotatably mounted in said apertureand provided with a slot, a bolt projecting through the slot and adapted to be secured in the support. and a nut on the bolt for locking the bushing against rotation.

3. An awning bracket adapted to be pivotally connected with a support, said bracket having an aperture therein spaced from said pivotal connection, a bushing rotatably mounted in said aperture and having an eccentrically located hole therein, and a bolt journaled in said eccentrically located hole and adapted to be secured in the support.

4. In an awning bracket adapted to be pivotally connected with a support, said bracket being provided with spaced circular apertures, bolts extending through said apertures for clamping the bracket to the support, and means rotatably mounted in said apertures and about the clamp ing bolts for preventing pivotal movement of the bracket in one position and permitting a predetermined amount of pivotal movement thereof in another position.

5. In an awning bracket adapted to be pivotally connected with a support, said bracket being provided with spaced circular apertures, bolts extending through said apertures for clamping the bracket to the support, and bushings rotatably mounted in said apertures and about the clamping bolts for preventing pivotal movement of the bracket in one position and permitting a predetermined amount of pivotal movement thereof in another position.

6. In awning construction, a bracket pivotally connected with a support, a bolt connected with the support and spaced from the pivotal connection, a nut cooperating with the bolt for clamping the bracket to the support, and a memher provided with an elongated slot through which the bolt extends rotatably mounted on the 

